Discography Divers

Kate Bush is a wonderfully eclectic musician who pushed the boundaries of pop music throughout the 80s and 90s. Nick and Shannon were mostly unfamiliar with her career but their friend Kellan promised that after a deep dive their minds would be blown. He was absolutely correct. Kate Bush is utterly fascinating and engaging whether she is writing songs about pi, being a mother, her favorite movies, how the world changes, snow, or sensuality. 

If you don't know Kate Bush join us by diving in to her discography or listen to our playlist compiling some of our favorite songs.

The Discography Divers start "Season 2" with what could be their most personal episode. Modest Mouse is both Shannon and Nick's all time favorite band and in this episode they question whether their relationship would have happened if it wasn't for the indie band. Shannon tells stories about Nick's MySpace page and Nick remembers how before they dated they would get together to dissect Isaac Brock's lyrics. Shannon and Nick rank out Modest Mouse's albums, discuss how they became poppier and if they "sold out" or matured. What themes circle around Modest Mouse's music? What does Isaac Brock sound like live? Why do we still keep going back to Modest Mouse after all these years?  

Don't forget to listen to our accompanying Modest Mouse playlist on Spotify. 

Outkast is one of the most influential hip-hop groups of all time. In the season 1 finale Shannon and Nick meet with their friend Tobi to explore what made Outkast so special. Is it Andre 3000's raw magnetism or Big Boi's ingenious mind? What made a bigger impact, Outkast's raw lyricism of their 90s output or their more pop oriented political punches of the 2000s? Do they come to a consensus for their top album or do Shannon and Nick diverge from Tobi's taste? 

Don't forget to check out our playlist based around our discussion of Outkast's discography. 

Sigur Ros is Icelandic post-rock band known for cinematic soundscapes, meditative piano melodies, and transcendent rock movements. Throughout the episode the Discography Divers struggle to find ways to describe Sigur Ros without saying "the most beautiful thing, ever." In this episode Shannon and Nick are joined by their good friend Brandon. Nick and Brandon have been obsessed with Sigur Ros since high school but are surprised by how their opinions have changed over time. Regardless of their rankings, the three listeners agreed the top of Sigur Ros' discography is full of masterpieces. 

Shannon and Nick always heard of the greatness and influence of the Talking Heads but neither of them had a deep understanding. Sure, they'd heard "Psycho Killer" but the experience of diving into the eccentric New Wave influencers was something special. In this episode the Discography Divers are joined by their friend Greg who enthusiastically explores the wild and wacky sounds of David Byrne and company. As usual the Discography Divers explore the entire career and rank the Talking Heads albums but they also review the concert film Stop Making Sense and have a lot of fun mimicking David Byrne noises. 

In this episode of the Discography Divers, Nick and Shannon are joined by their friend Ashley to dive into the career of the legendary hip-hop group, The Roots. The Roots discography was daunting as the Divers had to go deep to fully explore the eleven studio albums. Nick and Shannon discuss The Roots early rise from Philadelphia and how they gradually embraced more elements of rock while becoming a full band. They take a look back at how The Roots were making politically charged fierce music during the Bush administration and how they found new creativity while working on Jimmy Fallon. Listen up and take in the glorious discography of The Roots. 

...Are you ready for it? Shannon and Nick were not. They had decided to dive into Taylor Swift's discography as a fun experiment but were not expecting it to be life changing. Neither of the Discography Divers had listened to a Swift album prior to this experience. After the deep dive their eyes were opened. Throughout this episode you will hear them discuss how Taylor grew and changed throughout her career. They discuss the different musical styles she explores, her relationship with the media, her persona, and her strength as a song writer. They are joined by their friend Jennifer Willoughby, a Taylor Swift enthusiast who helps Shannon and Nick understand their newfound Taylor love. 

For their third episode, the Discography Divers are joined by their friend Dan Blizard to discuss the indie rock band Spoon. Spoon has refined their signature sound over the course of nine albums. What is Spoon's unique sound? It's the combination of frontman Britt Daniels's punchy lyrics, their snappy guitar riffs, unwavering percussion, and a tinge of psychedelia. Listen as the Discography Divers rank Spoon's career and explore what makes them a special band.

Listen to Discography Diver's Spoon accompanying playlist on Spotify

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For their second episode, Nick and Shannon are joined by special guest Jordan Reese to rank the albums from eclectic alternative-rock musician Beck. Beck has a lengthy and varied career. He is a rock musician who dabbles in freak-folk, art-pop, Americana, alternative hip-hop, psychedelic rock, and lo-fi. He is known as a Gen-X weirdo but has mainstream success with radio hit "Loser" and Grammy award winning album of the year "Morning Phase." Over the course of 11 albums the Discography Divers explore Beck's  eccentricities and what makes him such a successful musician. 

In our series premiere Shannon and Nick dove into the discography of one of their favorite bands, Portugal. The Man. Portugal. The Man is a progressive indie rock band from Wascilla Alaska, relocated to Portland, Oregon. Once known as the band that released an album every year, they've settled down and have released eight albums from 2006-2017. In this episode we discuss their hit single "Feel It Still," the folklore surrounding their early studio sessions, and how they changed from a psychedelic jam sound to a mainstream radio band.